The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-02-05
A FORTUNE EARNED.
A Story Illustrating How "Smau Begin
nings Make Great Ends"

A stOiy Illustrating How "small Begin
nings Make Great Ends"
Once upon a time poor young man
set out to seek his fortune. He had not
penny-piece in his pocket-nothing
but an old tin can, and bit of advice
which his mother had given him in dy-
ing: "Never pass by any thing you see
as too small to be noticed, or any
thing you hear as too trifing to
be attented to, for there is no
knowing in what way Heaven may
send us help when we need it." SO
far, however, he had neither seen nor
heard any thing to help him; nor had
he found any one who would give him
any work to do. Even the flower
gatherers who were working in the
large market gardens outside the city
drove him away when he begged to be
allowed to Join them, so that when
evening came he was so tired, hungry,
and footsore, that he was compelled to
lie down by the side of the road and
rest. Now, whilebe lay there, there
CHANGED to come that way very wise
man, one of the kings councillors, and
as he passed by Selim saw that he car
ried in his palm grain of dust, and
heard him murmW as he looked from
him to the distant mountains
Even so, small beginnings make
great ends.
Very much Selim wondered what this
meant but remembering his mother 5
words, and thinking it might con-
tain some help for him, he bowed low
before the stranger and humbly
asked him for an explanation of what
he had said, on which the wise man an
swered:
"My son, all the greatest things of
earth have their beginning in the small
est, Those mighty mountains could
never have been but for the grains OF
dust which compose them, and men
as poor as you have made great for
tunes out of no larger capital than that
dead mouse in the road there. "
"Since that is so, why shouldn't
make mine?n said Selim to himself;
so he picked up the dead mouse, and
went on his way until by-and-by he
came to a cottage where woman was
scolding her cat.
"Be quiet, she said; you want some
meat, know, and the cat's-meat mar
has not come to-day, so be still anC
don't tease me"
'If you have no meat for your cat
what will you give m'
for this fine mouseP You shall
have it for a half-penny," Selim said
and as pussy began to purr with 10.
and fawn upon him, the woman, VIII,
was very fond of her cat, took tn,
mouse, and tossing him a halfpenny
sent him away rejoicing. Selim's frs
thoughtwas to buy himself some bread
but remembering how hot and dust.
the flower gatherers had looked whel
they drove him away, he went instea'
and purchased a half-pennyworth O
treacle, which he mixed with cold waite
from the brook in his old can, and &c
ing back to the gardens offered each G
the men as they came out a sup of tn
cooling drink in exchange for a singl
flower from the basketful they wer
carrying to town for the morrow
market This the thirsty fellows gladl
gave him, so that by the time his ca
was empty he had quite a big bunch
flowers, which he, too, carried to ma
ket in the morning and sold for sil
pence.
Selim felt quite happy now. ID
, bought himself a pennyworth of breaC
! and having laid out the remainder
] the money in treacle, mixed
much larger quantity of the drinl